Lifting-tongs



. H. S'MITH.

LIETING TONGS. APPLICATION FI'LED NOV-28,1919.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. SMITH, OF SALISBURY MILLS, NEW YORK.

Y LIFTING-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed November 28, 1919. Serial No. 341,060.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury Mills, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to lifting tongs, and has as its primary object the provision of a device which may be used to lift objects such as cuspidors and the like from the ground and which may be'uscd equally as well by a storekeeper for lifting ob ects from a shelf.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lifting or grasping device which includes, a pair of coacting gripping jaws which are so arranged as to be adjusted to grip the object with greater or less force.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a grasping device wherein the jaws may be held in opened position by the operator until the same are engaged with the object to be grasped and which will upon being released, grasp the object and retain the same firmly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of lifting tongs which is simple in construction, which consists of few parts and which may be manufactured and sold at a minimum cost.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, construction and arrangement, operation and specific features all of which will be hereinafter enlarged upon and specifically defined in the subjoined claims, the invention being illustrated in the attached drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved tongs;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the movable jaw controlling head and the actuating means therefor.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein like characters of reference designate like parts in all the views the numeral 5 designates a rod upon one end of which a handle 6 is engaged while the opposite end is cut away on opposite sides as indicated at 7 and pivoted to the opposite flat face afforded by cutting this end of the rod as illustrated is a pair of links 8, the pivot securing the links being designated 9.

A sleeve 10 is slidably mounted upon the rod 5 adjacent the links and is provided with external threads 11. A cross head 12 is disposed upon the sleeve and is formed from a bar of metal that has its outer ends twisted so that they will be disposed at right angles to the intermediate part of the bar. A nut 13 is threaded upon the outer end of the sleeve 10 and prevents the cross head from moving in one direction. The shanks 1d of jaws 17 are connected to the ends of the cross head 12 as at 15 and are pivoted intermediate their ends to the outer ends of the links 8 as at 16. The free end of each shank is positioned at an angle to the major portion thereof and such ends constitute the coacting gripping jaws 17. The shape of the gripping jaws as illustrated adapts them for engagement with objects having flat sides but I wish to emphasize that these jaws may be made of any shape as to grip objects of irregular lines. As an example, these jaws may be longitudinally curved to conform to cylindrical objects. Another illustration will be to dispose the jaws 17 to lie at oblique angles with respect to the rods so that these jaws could grip the flared flange of a cuspidor.

Longitudinally adjustable on the rods 5 are U-shaped yokes 18, one leg of each of the yokes being longer than the other and provided with a guide opening 19. An operating rod 20 is slidably mounted in the guide openings 19 and is formed with a loop 21 at one end thereof which receives the sleeve 10 and is held rigid with the sleeve by oppositely disposed nuts 22 threaded upon the sleeve; the opposite end of this rod being provided with an operating handle 23 which is disposed in close proximity to the handle 6.

Encircling the rod 5 is an eXpansible coil spring 24, one end of which abuts the adjacent nut on the sleeve 10 while the opposite end bears against the adjacent yoke 18; thus the sleeve is urged toward the outer end of the rod to cause the jaws to grip an object therebetween. Set screws 25 which are carried by the yokes 18 are engageable with the rod 5 and retain the yokes in po sition on the rods. It will thus be seen that the tension of the coil spring 24 may be regulated by adjusting the adjacent yoke 18w ith which it is engaged.

In the use of the device the handle 6 is grasped and the operator engages the handle 23 and upon pulling the same toward the handle 6 the jaws will be opened. Upon engaging the aws with the object the han dle 23 is released'and due to the coil spring 24 the jaws will effectively grip the object. The structure illustrated and described is a practical embodiment of the invention and it will be stated that the construction will be modified and that my limits of modification are only governed by what is claimed.

hat is claimed is 1. In a grasping device, a rod, a cross head slidable on the rod, a pair of coacting gripping jaws connected with the cross head, substantially U-shaped yokes longitudinally adjustable on the rod and provided with guide openings, and an operating rod slidable through the guide openings and connected with the cross head.

2. In a grasping device, a rod, a cross head slidable on the rod, a pair of coacting gripping jaws operatively connected with the cross head, U-shaped yokes adjustable longitudinally of the rod and each having one leg formed with the guide opening, an operating rod slidable in the guide openings and connected with the cross head, and an expansible coil spring encircling the first named rod and bearing against one of the yokes and the cross head to normally urge the jaws into coacting gripping relation.

3. Ina grasping device, a .rod, a cross head slidable on the rod, the ends or the cross head being disposed in a plane at right angles to the intermediate part of the cross head, a pair of links having their inner ends pivotally connected to the forward end of the rod, a pair of jaws pivotally connectedto the ends of the cross head and having pivotal connection with the links, the gripping jaws being shaped to conform to the shape of the object to be grasped, an expansible coil spring on the rod and urging the cross head toward the forward end of the rod, anda control rod connected with the cross head.

4. In a grasping device, a rod, jaws pivotally connected to the rod, a spring mounted on the rod for normally holding the jaws in closed position, a stop adj ustably mounted upon the rod and engaging the spring, and a pull rod slidably carried by the stop and having connection with the jaws.

5. Lifting tongs comprising a rod, a short sleeve slidably mounted upon the rod, a cross head carried by the sleeve and extending beyond opposite sides of the rod, gripping elements embodying shanks pivoted to the ends of the cross head and jaws arranged at an angle to the plane of the shanks, links pivoted to said rod and shanks, a spring urging the sleeve forwardly on the rod, and a pull rod connected to the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. SMITH.

Vitnesses HENRY W. CHADEAYNE, \VILLIAM J. WYGANT. 

